BREWERY: Bear Republic Brewing Company
STYLE: IPA
ABV: 7.5%
PURCHASE: Draft (pint), $7.50
SERVING: Chilled pint glass. Head of one full inch and change from the tap. World-class retention.
APPEARANCE: This is one beautiful IPA. Golden-caramel colored body. Dense and spongy white head that almost defies gravity. Cloudy but translucent overall appearance. Not very much noticeable bubbling. Lacing that is beyond extraordinary; almost as if it was independently put there by a professional whitewasher.
BOUQUET: Sports a hoppy forefront--it's an IPA, duh. But it's tempered by a very well rounded malt and citrus presence. Grapefruity. A tease of caramel seems to linger in there.
PALATE: Extremely well attenuated. Soft carbonation on a slightly heavy body. It's an IPA, so you know what the constant factor is from start to finish. Mid-palate, grapefruit notes take hold, leading to an ideally balanced finish of hops, citrus, and toasted malt. Lemon and orange notes enter the fray at this juncture. The caramel seems to have been a mirage; I don't detect any here--not really. No matter: This isn't overly complex, but not simplemindedly hop-laden either. It's . . . just . . . right.
MUSINGS AND METAPHORS: Takes a backseat to Pliny and Dogfish's 90 Minute IPA, but remains a favorite of mine in this category, and probably among the very best IPAs in the country. Goes with any kind of food and is never out of place, no matter the situation. An IPA for all seasons.
I can't find an irrefutable connection between Racer 5 and the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, but one of the taglines, per Bear Republic's own website, is: "There's a trophy in every glass." Come on!
GRADE: A
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